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Tip

Different flavours

Seafood: Add 200g raw peeled king prawns to
the baking dish along with the poached fish.
Salmon & dill: Replace the smoked haddock
with 400g skinless salmon fillets, and use dill instead of the parsley.
Fish & vegetable: Add 100g each frozen peas
and sweetcorn to the baking dish before
pouring over the sauce

Method

Poach the fish. Put the fish in the frying pan and pour over 500ml of the milk. Stud each onion quarter with a clove,
then add to the milk, with the bay leaves. Bring the milk just to the boil – you will see a few small bubbles. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 mins. Lift the fish onto a plate and strain the milk into a jug to cool. Flake the fish into large pieces in the baking dish.

Hard-boil the eggs. Bring a small pan of water to a gentle boil, then carefully lower the eggs in with a slotted spoon. Bring
the water back to a gentle boil, with just a couple of bubbles rising to the surface. Set the timer for 8 mins, cook, then drain and cool in a bowl of cold water. Peel, slice into quarters and arrange on top of the fish, then scatter over the chopped parsley.

Make the sauce. Melt half the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min over moderate heat. Take off the heat,
pour in a little of the cold poaching milk, then stir until blended. Continue to add the milk gradually, mixing well until you have a smooth sauce. Return to the heat, bringto the boil and cook for 5 mins, stirring continually, until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then pour over the fish.

Assemble and bake. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Boil the potatoes for 20 mins. Drain, season and mash with the
remaining butter and milk. Use to top the pie, starting at the edge of the dish and working your way in – push the mash right to the edges to seal. Fluff the top with a fork, sprinkle with cheese, then bake for 30 mins. Make up to a day ahead, chill, then bake for 40 mins.

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Comments, questions and tips

Comments

I was looking for a good fish pie recipe and came across this one. I used a variation of white Basa fillets, smoked Basa fillets, one Salmon fillet, and some king prawns. It worked beautifully! I ran out of whole milk (had about 400ml) so used about 150ml of fresh double cream. The result was incredible! So rich and creamy. I even used some double cream in my mash and mixed the cheddar topping with 1/3 Applewood Smoked cheddar cheese. I'll be using this recipe again - soon!!

I have made this countless times and always works out fantastic. I've never added the bay leaves, and always add most of the onion (without the cloves) to the pie. Never used the parsley either! I usually buy one of the 500g fish pie mixes (frozen or fresh) then add a whole bag of prawns. My partner hates his mums fish pie but loves mine and is always asking me to make it!

I've made this countless times for various occasions including a Thanksgiving dinner party and a Christmas meal with family, as well as for my partner and myself. It's one of my absolute favourites, great fun to cook, and always a huge hit with the people I make it for - "a crowd pleaser" according to one of my friends! I always use sweetcorn and frozen peas, and add extra bay leaves to the sauce for more flavour. Definitely leave the eggs in - absolutely amazing.

Fabulous results for my first ever fish pie. I added some fresh chives to the sauce as I had no nutmeg which worked well. Very heary portions - I could only manage half a portion but plenty for for four and some left for second helpings.

First time I made fish pie and it was perfect. I felt the eggs added an extra touch and flavour to the fish. In answer to a previous question:
a) I used frozen cod and smoked haddock and it worked perfectly.
b) Cloves that are being referred to are the dried spice clove, not garlic

I've made this four times. Excellent - the proportions are just right. However it can be much improved:
a. 8 minutes of poaching the fish is way too much. Once the milk is up to simmering point the fish needs only 2 minutes or so until it starts to flake. Remove the fish and transfer to a cold dish so that it stops cooking. Flake the fish, removing the skin, then return the skin to the pan and continue simmering for another 10 mins.
b. Instead of plain mash, top with saffron mash to give a colour contrast - otherwise you can't see where the fish stops and the topping starts.

Made this last night for supper. Omitted the eggs (as I loathe them) and didn't add the cloves as none in my larder. I used a mixture of natural and smoked cod, salmon and scallops. Absolutely YUMMY! Served it with peas and it was the perfect meal for easy entertaining. Will certainly be cooking this again, probably sooner rather than later as my husband and our dinner guests declared it the best fish pie they had ever tasted. Yo!

this was so simple and really tasty, I added peas, sweetcorn and small diced carrot for a bit of colour, I used semi skimmed milk as was all I had in, worked well, will be making it again sometime soon, the best fish pie I've tasted

Making this for our tea later this afternoon. I've used white fish, some crab and have added leeks from the poaching stage - all looking good:) For the cheese topping I've used grated British Red Leicester for the colour and the taste. I'm baking it in about an hours time - will let you all know how it is received at the dinner table;/

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